Political Leadership and Campaign Training Program for Emerging African Leaders                                (Application deadline: June 30, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. GMT)

BACKGROUND AND PROGRAM OVERVIEW

By 2050, Africa’s population is expected to double from 1.2 billion people to 2.4 billion. With over 60% of the population being under 25 years old, Africa is one of the world’s youngest continents, which presents tremendous challenges and opportunities for economic growth, political participation, democratic governance, and social inclusion. Growing unemployment rates, stagnant growth, wide scale corruption and political exclusion have contributed to increasing rates of emigration and frustration at home.

One of the largest concerns facing African youth today is a lack of representation in politics. The average age of the ten oldest African leaders is 78.5, as opposed to 52 for the world’s ten most-developed economies. The last few years has seen a growing movement of this youthful population demanding progressive social and political change, participation, and progressive development. In Nigeria, the ‘NOT TOO YOUNG TO RUN’ campaign led to a change in the electoral laws to enable young people to participate, and in Uganda, the People Power movement has given inspiration to new generation of youth with interest in political leadership. The growing army of political change agents on the continent will – in addition to favorable laws – need the skills and resources to effectively engage with political campaigns for both policy change and electoral competition.

Over the past four years, Naymote Partners for Democratic Development, Liberia’s premier democracy advancement institution has worked to address some of the governance and leadership challenges across the continent through its Young Political Leadership School Africa (YPLS Africa).

The YPLS Africa program convenes young politicians and youth activists with a passion for supporting good governance, policy advocacy, fostering transparency in government, and mobilizing their communities to ensure that government officials are accountable to the people. Participants could network with like-minded peers and to acquire the skills they need to play an active role in the political and governance processes in their respective countries. The YPLS Africa is a great platform to democratically transform the African continent and improve democratic governance through well experienced, accountable, accessible and responsive young African leaders.

Over the course of three months, fellows will engage in a series of theoretical and interactive exercises designed to develop their knowledge and political leadership skills. The program includes 10 weeks of group discussions, field trips, and civic engagement activities, a one-week intensive classroom lecture series in Monrovia, Liberia, ongoing coaching and mentorship from staff, and a personalized leadership development plan.

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

Since April 2016, 430 young politicians and activists have participated in the YPLS Africa program. Naymote Partners for Democratic Development is pleased to announce that the YPLS Africa program is accepting applications to welcome its next cohort of 75 emerging African leaders who are interested in public service, shared leadership, policy advocacy, entrepreneurship, communication, political campaigning and community organizing, etc to Monrovia, Liberia from October 14-18, 2019.

 

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be selected, applicant must meet the following criteria.

1. Applicant must be a college graduate, or active youth leader aged 18- 35 years,
2. Applicant must be a resident of an African country
3. Applicant must demonstrate a high level of interest in politics, leadership and community service,
4. Applicant must demonstrate commitment to learning and sharing their knowledge and skills with others
5. Applicant must demonstrate commitment to implementing practicum/follow up events and actively engage in networking and the YPLS Africa Alumni Association,
6. Applicant must have the ability to communicate clearly and be proficient in reading and writing English.
7. Youth activists, young politicians or political candidates, student leaders, women, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Only selected applicants shall be notified. Notifications will be sent between July 15 -30, 2019.

BENEFITS

• Fellows will enjoy ongoing support, mentorship and coaching throughout the program.
• Fellows will gain experience, new skills and build networks that will be useful in their professional growth.
• Fellows will receive a certificate of completion, branded t-shirts, bags, and other training materials.
• Fellows will receive Personal Leadership Development Plan
• Meals and local transportation costs for international students will be provided during the five-day training in Liberia as well as lunch for all participants. All international participants will be responsible for their travel and accommodation while in Liberia.

 

SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION 

The deadline for submitting applications is June 30, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. (GMT). Applications should be submitted through the YPLS online form http://tinyurl.com/y6mv3kla.

Interested individuals can also apply by sending letter of application, a current resume, one passport size photo, two letters of recommendation and academic credentials, a motivational letter 700 words on why I should be considered for the training and where I want to see yourself in the next five years, to info@naymote.com cc: joshcleon91@yahoo.com.

Those residing in hard-to-reach counties in Liberia, please contact the following numbers for assistance to submit your application 0886908077/0776476498/ 0776793356/ 0777604909. Note: Deadline for APPLICATION: June 30, 2019 at 11:59 PM (GMT). The YPLS Africa Semester VI is supported by the National Endowment for Democracy.

 

About the Organizer:

Naymote Partners for Democratic Development was established in 2001 by university student leaders and youth activists, to strengthen and promote positive youth and community engagement in support of democratic governance and sustainable development in Liberia. The institution is a good governance and research institution working to promote democracy, transparency, peace building, and participatory governance in Liberia. The institution is a member of the World Movement for Democracy, the World Youth Movement for Democracy, the Africa Democracy Movement, and the National CSO Council Liberia.

 

Download PDF version of the YPLS Africa Call for Applications 2019-06.